Writing email subject lines that get prospects to open, read, and respond

Email subject lines are important. Why? Because people do judge newsletters by their subjects. And here’s the bombshell: 30% of email recipients decide whether to open an email solely based on its subject line. And 69% of email recipients report email as spam based solely on the subject line.

But this is not yet another post about writing email subjects. Instead, I’ll focus on compelling, hands-on tips that will help you reach the point where your subscribers can’t help but open your newsletters.

1. Keep it short

To quote Mark Twain, “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead.” Brevity is the key. A subject line should contain the most important information about your offer in just 25-50 words! Taking Mark Twain’s word for it, brevity in writing is a challenge. So the key here is to be descriptive but to the point.

2. Avoid slogans and don’t come on too strong

“Sizzling summer promo” or “The ultimate bargain season starts now” are to the point and short enough. So what could possibly be wrong? They don’t have the element of surprise. So your subscriber has less incentive to open. And they are rather common, so you lose your brand’s scent. And in return – trust and recognizability of your subscribers. On the other hand, watch out for a subject like: “Hey, I’d like to sell you something” – I can guarantee it will land in the spam folder. The same will happen if you use ALL CAPS. So key takeaways are: don’t use spammy words, stay focused, and be original. It will not only boost your open rate but also increase deliverability.